Everything Changes as You Climb the Mountain
by sanctum-c
Summary: Cloud brings two girls home to meet his mother and she reflects on their relationships as they grew up in Nibelheim.


Dala Strife sat down at the kitchen table and looked at the trio opposite her. In the centre was a red-faced Cloud, staring intently down onto the polished table top. To his right was the mayor's daughter, Tifa Lockhart. She was also avoiding the mother's gaze, her face distinctly reddened. To Cloud's left was his oldest friend, Aeris Faremis. Unlike her companions, Aeris didn't appear to be embarrassed and instead looked calm, nodding at the older woman as a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Her son had always been a bit of an outcast in the village until the Faremis family moved in, and Aeris had first talked to Cloud. It had set Dala's heart at ease to finally see Cloud make a friend, and a good friend at that. While the other children would actively exclude him from their games, Aeris was always willing to play with him and embark on his adventures. Dala had exchanged pleasantries with both her parents on a number of occasions, but had never directly spoken to them.

The presence of Tifa at her table felt like it would have been unheard of just a few years ago. Dala had watched the village children as they played with a certain wariness, and while Tifa had never borne any ill-will towards her son, the girl's chosen company left something to be desired. Time had changed things though; Tifa's formerly close friends all chose to leave the village seeking fame and fortune. But even before that the situation had begun altering after the incident on Mount Nibel. It had not been easy to coax the story out of Cloud the day he returned home overly late. He initially insisted the delay was simply due to a new adventure with Aeris that had run on longer then expected and that he'd walked his friend home, as if the few extra minutes would excuse the late hour and solidify his alibi. Cloud playing at chivalry; she'd seen enough to know that Aeris was no slouch at keeping herself safe, and the arrangement likely should have been the other way around.

Still, when Cloud had returned with torn clothes and not just the usual scabby knees and elbows, an overlong adventure didn't seem to begin to cover what had happened to him. After numerous promises not to tell anyone else, not even Aeris's parents and especially not Tifa's, Cloud haltingly related how he and Aeris had followed Tifa as she climbed the nearby mountain. How her friends had grown fearful of the terrain and fled back down to safety leaving their grieving friend to continue on alone.

Dala bit her tongue as the story unfolded. The children had been repeatedly warned not to follow the mountain path and climb the nearby peak. It was not only the monsters that made Mount Nibel dangerous; the very mountain itself seemed determined to injure and deter any trespassers. The ground was formed entirely of razor sharp, jagged rock and hanging in the air was a faint but very palatable sense of unease. After a few moments though, Dala decided to let any chastising slide. Cloud told her how Tifa had slipped on the path, falling helplessly into space and how he'd tried to rescue her, desperately trying to pull her back onto solid ground. It had only been with Aeris's help that they prevented a nasty fall down the mountainside, and hauled the mayor's daughter back to safety. Aeris hugged and comforted the sobbing girl while she haltingly explained why she wanted to climb the mountain and risk her life like this. Dala grew concerned that Tifa had taken the local legend so literally, that she would risk the mountain terrain and try to find her mother's spirit, though at least the presence of Cloud and Aeris had prevented any injuries.

Once his story was concluded, Dala realised she could do little more then tend to his cuts and bruises before sending him up to bed; it had been a long day and she could see exhaustion already beginning to take hold of her son. Despite her assurances to Cloud, she did briefly ponder mentioning this to Mayor Lockhart, before deciding against it. Their relationship had never been exactly amicable, but she was not willing to upset him unnecessarily; the last thing he needed to hear at this time was that he had almost lost his daughter today so soon after the loss of his wife. Cloud had been oddly insistent that Tifa wouldn't try anything like that again. Something about what Aeris had said to her, something about her mother returning to the Planet rather then waiting beyond the harsh landscape of Mount Nibel.

That day changed everything between the three of them; Tifa's friendship with her usual gang had been fractured by their cowardice. Oh, she kept up appearances and played with them as always, but like never before her gaze was drawn by Cloud, Aeris and their own escapades during the day. Time wore on and the children of the village were drawn by Shinra's promises of a bright future across the ocean in their capital city. The lure of high-paying jobs and the prestigious ranks of SOLDIER began beckoning the children, and they soon gave into the temptation. Three resisted however; Tifa was unwilling to let her father live alone and so chose to remain in the village; the lure of the bright lights and the big city simply held no allure for Cloud or Aeris. Her son had reported that his oldest friend was industriously growing flowers in her parent's garden and was trying to sell them around the village. And if nothing else, Dala suspected Cloud was looking forward to the other children leaving so he could enjoy the peace without them.

Even the walls Mayor Lockhart liked to throw up between himself and the Strifes were beginning to weaken. Disagreeing with societal norms day in, day out when he was a single parent was exhausting it seemed and he no longer actively scowled at Cloud in the street. The day after the other children left for Midgar was the day that three teenagers awkwardly settled any remaining differences and became inseparable friends. Childhood adventures faded away, but the desire to explore and see new sights never left them; an odd contradiction given they had rejected the invitation to head towards Midgar. A wanderlust crept over them and together they re-scaled Mount Nibel, successfully and without injury. Cloud returned that evening with a glowing account of reaching the old reactor perched on the mountainside high above them.

Dala watched as the teenagers settled into their roles in the village. Aeris had her flowers, Tifa had taken up martial arts, and Cloud had started running errands. Taking their cues from the mayor, and the absence of their own children, the town's attitude towards Cloud warmed significantly and he was able to make new connections, delivering items and messages between the populace. Tifa was busy ensuring that she knew the alternate routes across the mountains as Cloud speculated about assisting with the irregular deliveries to Rocket Town or Cosmo Canyon.

Something undefinable changed one day. The older teens had struck out to scale Mount Nibel once again and cross through to Rocket Town. It was a trek of a few days each way, and despite her nerves at the risks involved, Dala wasn't about to stand in Cloud's way. Tifa by this time was an accomplished martial artist, Aeris had always been capable of taking care of herself with her staff, and Cloud had been clumsily learning to fence with an old sword of his father's. With assurances of safety and their few weapons in hand, they set out. And it was a somewhat distracted Cloud who returned later that week. A distracted Cloud who didn't venture out of the house like normal for three full days until someone came calling for him. Dala tried not to pry, but watched curiously as Cloud's spine stiffened when he saw the visitor. She was too far away to catch much of the conversation that followed, but Cloud's responses were short and rather perfunctory, so unlike the calmer, more verbose way he'd been speaking of late. He was eventually coaxed out of the house, calling over his shoulder that he'd be back soon.

A flushed Cloud returned hours later, smiling in a curiously familiar way. Whatever had happened in the interim had changed him dramatically, bringing back the more comfortable Cloud, but it had also changed him somehow. There was a new air of confidence in his actions and Dala felt a twinge of concern rush through her. As far as she knew her son hadn't even kissed anyone, let alone slept with them, but something in his behaviour now seemed to indicate that at least one of those things was no longer true. She'd already played the dutiful parent, explaining to a furiously blushing boy about sex and contraceptives some years ago. Hopefully he still remembered those words, hopefully he wouldn't be too embarrassed to visit the village's sole chemist when necessary. If he got either of his friends pregnant then that would demolish any progress that had been made with the mayor; especially if it was his daughter.

No, this wasn't right; she was just jumping to conclusions. She didn't know that Cloud had lost his virginity, didn't know that the reddened face was her son sleeping with one of his friends for the first time. It could still be simply a first kiss. But what had happened on the trip across Mount Nibel that had made him hide away? What had happened in those hours he was out of the house. She hoped he would come to talk to her when he needed to.

And now a few months later Dala found herself sitting at the kitchen table with the three of them. It was not the first time she'd met either girl, but she hadn't seen as much of them since their most recent exploration of Mount Nibel. Cloud hadn't told her he was bringing his friends to visit today, and even simply bringing them to the house didn't really explain why he and Tifa looked so embarrassed. So had her assumption been correct before and romance had blossomed with his friend?

"Hello Aeris, hello Tifa," she began, watching them carefully. "Is there by-chance something you want to tell me Cloud? Something about a girlfriend?"

Aeris's smile increased a shade while both Tifa and Cloud flushed a darker red. Cloud's mouth opened and closed a few times trying to form words as Dala regarded the two girls curiously, a whisper of an idea flitting through her mind. Was it possible? How would the town react to such a relationship? She'd been ostracized for so much less. But then did that matter if they were happy?

"Or am I supposed to guess which of your friends you're now dating?" she asked watching reactions carefully.

Cloud still staring down nodded at that, and Dala tried to imagine how this situation could have developed. Was her son somehow unable to choose between the two of them and so had decided to appeal to her as a higher authority? Surely that couldn't have been well received by either of his friends. Yet here they both were.

"Let's see..." she began, her eyes flicking from Aeris to Tifa and then back to Aeris. Dala concentrated on the brunette a moment. Unlike the other two she was unfazed and not embarrassed by whatever events had lead to them sitting here with her. She was waiting, urging the conversation to continue so they could resume a semblance of normalcy. Not proof of her suspicions by any stretch, but enough for Dala to gamble on it. While Aeris seemed willing to accept the outcome, even if it went against her, that she hadn't used this as a way to remove herself from the question at hand indicated that she did want to be with Cloud. From that the situation seemed clear in her mind.

"I have always liked the thought of my son with an older girlfriend," she began, watching Tifa's face fall as Cloud's head jerked towards Aeris. "Someone to take care of him and keep him out of trouble." Cloud sighed, seemingly in relief. "On the other hand, that's really not fair to his long-term crush."

Tifa looked startled at the admission, as Cloud sucked in a quick breath, his head now flicking towards her for a moment before staring straight down and seemingly now wanting the ground to swallow him up.

"No, I'm afraid it's no good Cloud. I'm not going to chose your girlfriend for you."

Cloud licked his lips quickly. "Choose?!" he stuttered. "Didn't want you to choose, we, um, I mean, I, er..." he said in quick startled breaths.

"You'll just have to date both of them," she said dismissively, hiding a smile with her hand as Cloud finally jerked his head up to meet her eyes. Tifa's mouth dropped open into an "O" and Aeris's eyes widened in surprise.

"Mom...?"

Dala sighed, but the grin wasn't leaving her face easily and she rested her hands on the table. "I was hoping this wasn't some ill-conceived attempt to resolve your little love-triangle and have me make your choice for you. I won't do it, and more to the point I don't think it's necessary. Given how much time you spend with each other it doesn't seem like you individually have an issue with dating more then one person so I don't see why you would need me to choose."

"But we can't both date him..." Tifa finally spoke nervously.

"As long as you, Cloud and Aeris are okay with it I don't see why not."

"Um." She could see that the conversation had gone nothing like they'd thought, planned, rehearsed or remotely contemplated. None of them seemed at all sure how to proceed with this development.

She smiled and turned to Aeris. "So, when did you first realise you had feelings for my son?"

That startled Aeris, and Cloud hastily stood up, sending his chair skidding back across the floor with a groan of wood on stone. "I just remembered, there's an urgent delivery I have to make. Right now. You two stay here and chat with Mom. Bye." And before they could move, Cloud had raced out of the door and into the town. A now worried Aeris and a beet-red Tifa glanced nervously at each other and then towards her.

"I told you both this wasn't going to work," hissed Tifa, the sound almost obscured by Cloud's movements. "You can't ask someone's mom to make this decision."

"But we weren't getting anywhere. If not this, then what? Rock, paper, scissors?" replied Aeris.

Dala sighed again drawing their attention. "You're right, you know. I'm really not the one who should be making these decisions. You don't have to worry though. I won't your parents. Or anyone else for that matter."

"You... won't?" Tifa asked, quavering hope audible in her voice.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," she replied with a smile. "I was just teasing before, you know."

"Oh," Aeris said, glancing towards her friend. "Cloud really over-reacted about that. I mean we know only one of us can go out with him and-"

"I meant when I asked about when you first realised you had feelings for him," Dala replied smoothly. Aeris looked flabbergasted again.

Tifa took the moment to speak up. "You really don't see a problem?"

"I don't. More then anything in the world I want my son to be happy. And if being with both of you will make him happier then only being with one of you, who I am to stand in the way? You'll all be adults soon enough, and after that I really have no say in anything."

"It's just... I didn't think anyone else would be okay with this?" Aeris spoke slowly.

"Because Nibelheim's quite conservative?"

Aeris nodded. "I mean, my parents are okay-"

"You told them?!" Tifa asked in shock. Her friend looked a little sheepish as she replied.

"Yeah... Well, it was kind of like my Mom already knew. I mean, I never can keep secrets from her."

"You mean she knows about the mountain as well?"

"Well of course! I had to tell her why my clothes were torn."

"No, not that time; the day Cloud saw us-"

She clapped a hand across her mouth and glanced nervously at Dala. A new expression of concern fell across Aeris's face as well. This was a little more complicated. Dala stood, the girls' eyes following her nervously.

"I think..." she began.

"We were just messing around Mrs. Strife. It wasn't what Cloud thought it was. I don't know what he told you about it, but it wasn't like that. I mean, it was, kind of, but it didn't mean..." Aeris trailed off as the older woman smiled warmly.

"Please, just call me Dala."

"O-okay... Dala... I-"

"Thank you." Dala circled the table and walked towards the sitting area. "Would you girls care to join me? It feels so adversarial to keep talking across the table like that."

The two girls gingerly crossed to the other chair, fingers groping for the other's hand, thinking better of it and dropping back to their sides. She gave them a moment to settle before resuming.

"You two have feelings for each other as well don't you?"

"No."

"Yes."

Tifa stared at Aeris. Aeris sighed and puffed her cheeks a moment. "Do you really think she hasn't figured that out, Tifa?"

"Well-"

"And she's not chasing us out with a broom, so I don't think she has a problem with the idea. You don't, do you... Dala?" Aeris glanced over at her nervously.

"As I said, you'll be adults soon, so who am I to stand in the way? If it makes you happy, if you're not hurting anyone and if you're both happy with each other and Cloud then I couldn't have a problem with any of this." Aeris grinned at that, and Tifa let a nervous smile curve her lips. "Just promise me that you will talk to each other and be honest with each other. Communication is key to a successful relationship, you know."

Aeris was looking at her wonderingly. "Dala, you are a pretty awesome Mom."

"Thank you, Aeris."

"D-ditto," mumbled Tifa.

"Thank you, Tifa. Well," she said with emphasis, firmly book-ending the conversation. "What do you two say to some coffee and something a bit more fun?"

They both grinned at the idea. Cloud returned an hour later to find the trio sat on the floor with photo albums spread around them, roaring with laughter at some story of his youth. Cloud dithered for a moment, pondering if he should leave them to it and return later when Dala noticed him.

"Come over here, Cloud honey. Your girlfriends are going to stay for dinner."

* * *

Notes: The main basis of the fic resulted from a discussion with Raaj about AU ideas for _Final Fantasy VII_ and what things might have been like if Gast, Iflana and Aeris had been living in Nibelheim (and the rest of the Jenova project didn't happen in quite the same way). Dala Strife is as always inspired by Scribbler's work, especially The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun.


End file.
